Click on any of the images for the full-sized picture.

22-Sep-2002 -- 20N116W lies in an alkali flat some 30 miles north of Eureka, NV. The previous visitor, G. Horn, was there in the spring (May) and encountered several inches of mud. My visit was in September and the alkali flat was quite dry.

In fact, I had hopes of being able to drive on the playa right to the confluence. My map indicated a road off of Sadler Brown Road through the Siri Ranch that looked like it would give access to the playa. I proceeded through the gate and found a ranch hand to ask about using that road. He gave permission and pointed to another gate and said that road went out there. Well, sort of. The road went in that direction, but petered out a quarter mile or so before reaching the open playa. The sagebrush was really too dense and big to try to drive cross-country through it.

I was still a mile and a quarter from the confluence. That was still better than G. Horn's 2 mile walk from Sadler Brown Road some of which was in mud. With the sun at my back and low in the sky, I walked quickly into my shadow. Photo #3 shows my hat and water bottle marking the confluence in the view to the south. Photo #2 shows much the same scenery to the north. In photo #1 to the east, you can see my very long shadow and on the left the (broken) stake marking G. Horn's confluence location. Interestingly it was about 30 feet from my zero point (photo #4), well outside my EPE of 14 feet (although I suppose if you add the uncertainty of both measurements it might account for that much difference).

I thought it was extremely interesting that, although his visit was some 16 months earlier, I could see Mr. Horn's footsteps in the mud faintly, but nonetheless distinctly, in the now dry playa. Being late in the day, I didn't dally long. I turned into the setting sun and walked back to my car.